Introduction

In the Northern Mountainous Region of Viet Nam, unsustainable agricultural practices have been posing serious threats to the livelihoods of poor ethnic minorities and ecosystems. Among the major concerns are the predominance of monocultures, inappropriate management of sloping land, and overuse of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. At the same time, local communities lack coping strategies related to extreme climate events and have little access to markets.

Agroecology for Resilient Landscapes for the Poor in Northern Uplands of Viet Nam aims to contribute to addressing the unsustainability of livelihoods of poor ethnic minorities in the region through an agroecological approach that involves male and female members of ethnic minorities in establishing and maintaining resilient landscapes.

The target groups of the project are Hmong ethnic people in Tram Tau district of Yen Bai Province and Dao and Muong ethnic people in Kim Boi district of Hoa Binh Province.

Project sites: Hoa Binh and Yen Bai provinces

Objectives

1. Agroecological landscapes are revitalized by female and male Muong and Hmong farmers in the four communes in which the project works.
2. Lessons learned about establishment of agroecological landscapes are to reflected in national and provincial policies and implementation by governments at all levels

Project theory of change

The project will address the problem of unsustainable livelihoods of poor ethnic minorities through the umbrella of an agroecological approach, with effective participation of stakeholders, particularly, the target groups. Establishment of gender-sensitive, agroecological landscapes will be piloted at the project sites to deal with the issues of degraded ecosystems, low land productivity, and limited recognition of local knowledge and participation. Market links and post-harvest processing and packaging will be supported and co-benefits will be assessed to boost adoption of agroecological practices. Project results and lessons learned will be documented for scaling up. The project will also specifically build the capacity of beneficiaries for effective participation in activities and local decision-making process.

Approach

The project uses agroecology as the core approach throughout the whole course of implementation. It will 1) enhance local ecosystems through establishing landscapes of multi-strata agroforestry systems (agrosilvopastoral systems, which are combinations of trees, crops, pastures and livestock) based on the work already tested by ICRAF in the Northwest; 2) enhance local livelihoods through diversifying income sources and improving participation in value chains of local products; 3) empower female and male farmers through building their capacity and sharing knowledge with both farmers and government officials, improving access to information and support; and 4) strengthen representation, participation and decision-making of female and male, poor, ethnic minority smallholders.

Expected Outputs

Development outputs

• Four agroecological landscapes of at least 100 hectares in total established in the four communes in which the project works, involving 180 smallholder households.
• At least two key local species restored and conserved.
• Capacity developed for members of the participating households in development of agroecological landscapes through various training, networking and learning events.
• Farmers’ network established with at least 12 farmers’ groups at the project sites for internal and cross-learning and sharing as well as connection with other networks and organizations.
• Potential for carbon sequestration in agroecological landscapes is assessed and recommendations for carbon financing elaborated.
•  At least two policy briefs on lessons learned from the project, including policy recommendations.

Scientific outputs

• At least two international peer-reviewed journal articles on specific areas of the project’s work.